Contact Dr Raeburn Forbes – Ask Me A Question

Please use this contact form as I personally read and reply to each enquiry.

Ask About Headaches

If asking about headaches, more detail is better. (See paragraph below).

Contact Me to Request a Private Appointment

If you are wanting a private appointment, please use this form and remember to include a contact telephone number so we can confirm the booking. I will usually confirm your appointment time within 1-2 working days. Private appointments are not suitable for emergencies as most appointments will take place within one to two weeks.

Contact Me about Training or Research

If you contact me, please know that my main areas of interest are education and training of non-neurologists. Usually I teach or train people working in acute medicine, care of elderly, emergency medicine and general practice. I regularly work for the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency.

Important Disclaimer:

Please remember questions and my answers using this contact form are not a substitute for proper medical care. If you have symptoms causing you concern you must see your own doctor. If you contact me, my aim is to increase your understanding of headache symptoms.

The more you understand the less you will fear.

More detail on Headache Enquiries

If you are asking about headaches this sort of information can be helpful:

When did headaches start? Are you pain free between headaches or is it continuous headaches? How long can you go pain free? Have you ever injured your head or neck or jaw?What different types of headache do you get? Does anything make the headache feel worse?Anything make the headache go away? Do you experience ‘Sensory Sensitivity’ (you don’t like light or noise or movement or smell or feel nauseated)Or do you get ‘Autonomic Activation’ (eye watering, nasal congestion, eye swelling, eyelid drooping, reddening of the white of the eye)?In which location is each headache type? What worked best for you at reducing the pain? Have you had any investigations/tests?

Ask a Question about Headache

Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in.

First Name*

E-mail Address*

Please enter your email, or I will be unable to answer.

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Question

This first box is for you to ask your question. If you have time, consider filling in the other 16 short questions - although they are really there to prompt you to give as much detail as you can in your question. If you are requesting an appointment please remember your surname and a contact telephone number.

1. How many years have you had headaches?

2. Please indicate your approximate age

3. Is the person with headaches male or female?

Male

Female

4. Which side of the head is sore?

Always RIGHT sided

Always LEFT sided

Mostly RIGHT sided

Mostly LEFT sided

BOTH Sides

SWAPS sides but only one at a time

5. Which part of your head is sore?

(If more than one, enter worst location)

Back of Head

Side of head

Top of Head

Forehead

In the Eye or around the Eye

Ear/side of head

Face/cheek/nose

Jaw

It can move from place to place

It's the whole head

It's hard to say, it's just sore

6. Do any of the following happen alongside your headaches?

I prefer to lie down

I feel sick or nauseated

I prefer the dark or avoid light

I prefer silence or avoid noise

I avoid smells such as perfume or cooked food

My eye streams water a lot

My nose feels blocked up

I pace the floor feeling very agitated

None of the above - it's just sore

7. Do any of the following descriptions apply to the pains you get in your head?

Sharp

Throbbing

Pressure

Splitting

Shooting

Stabbing, like a dart or knife

Aching

Pounding

Difficult to describe - just severe

8. When the pain is worst, what is the pain like?

9. If you are pain free between headaches - how long does an EPISODE of headache last?

10. If you have EPISODES of headache, how many episodes of headache could you get in one day?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Dozens - more than I can count

11. In the last 3 months, what is the longest time you have been pain-free?

12. In the last 3 months...

I have had pain in my head every single day

I have pain in my head most days

I have had one or two headache episode each week, but have some pain free days

I have had no more than one headache per week, with many pain free days

I only get headaches that waken me from sleep, they never start in daytime

13. Do any of the following movements or actions bring on a headache?

Coughing

Physical exercise like weight-lifting/running/cycling

Stooping down to lift something from the floor

Laughing

Sleep

14. Have you ever had any of these Blood Tests for headache

Blood Count (to exclude anaemia)

Thyroid Function Tests

ESR (sedimentation rate)

C-Reactive Protein

Don't Know

15. Have you had any of these tests for your headaches?

CT Brain Scan

CT Paranasal Sinuses

CT Cerebral Venogram

MRI Brain

MRI Brain with Gadolinium

MR Myelogram

Cerebral Angiogram

Lumbar Puncture Procedure

Visual Field Test

16. Can you tell me the results of any of these tests?

Please leave any other comment or information here. Remember to leave your contact number if you want a private appointment.